Henry Irslinger, The Early Years

By Ron Historyo

Wrestling Heritage welcomes memories, further information and corrections.

Henry Irslinger, The Early Years

The man who brought wrestling to Britain. The legendary story of how Ben Sherman, his friend, beat Oakeley’s friend Bill Garnon in a friendly “shoot” and the idea was sold to Oakeley to get a new type of wrestling going in the U.K.

At the end of January 1908 the name Henry Irslinger hit the papers in a list of middleweight competitors in The Alhambra Wrestling Tournament.

Mr A. F Bettinson and his sporting friends wanted to broaden the appeal of wrestling with an International tournament of Catch as Catch Can Wrestling. We all know how wrestling works and each wrestler had to have a back story to build him up. Some more than others of course and for whatever reason, this man Irslinger, a couple of months off his twentieth birthday, never been heard of before was suddenly a Austria/Hungary champion from 1903 and an open winner of a tournament in Budapest.

I have my doubts as his birth was 24th March 1888 in Vienna. This 1903 tournament win is almost certainly a wrestling fabrication. How he came to be in England is not at all clear. He would not have heard of this tournament, he would have been found by someone as a worthwhile entrant.

So we have his birth and his earliest wrestling, but what of the in between? I have found a document that states that he served seven months in the Austrian Army. That fits with myself as 18 years old looks a good call up age too me.

For later, a significant point, in 1908 Lonsdale Trophies were introduced for the winners of each weight class in this tournament. In the first year, it was indeed a trophy and in 1909 and 1910 Belts were introduced.

The back Story slipped up because another newspaper report stated that he had been in London just a few years (I doubt even that much) trained by Ferdinand Gruhn.

He had recently won an amateur competition in Germany and was awarded a Gold watch.

So he is eleven stones and six pounds. Later to ask for USA Citizenship there was to be no pulling the wool on official documents. He was Five seven and a half brown hair and blue eyes.

Irslinger progressed well in the competition and got some good reviews in the papers, making the semi finals against Peter Gotz.

Gotz was eleven years his senior and could have entered the lightweights by mistake. He was possibly a stone less than Irslinger who resisted him for thirty minutes, but the papers reported that he was no attacking threat to Gotz and indeed a novice. He was indeed a very strong novice, and, although the judges did not agree Gotz ultimately got the call on points.

Gotz’s mistake was that he could not beat the old master and favourite Joe Carroll. So when the wrestling fans look back on the records and see Irslinger in this tournament they must remember that he was not the great wrestler that he became.

That is the real story of Henry Herman Irslinger’s start of fame.

Over in the USA later Henry was attributed to have won a Lonsdale Belt, sometimes in some reports won the Alhambra. Not so. Joe Carroll won a trophy here, not a belt.

Bettinson and William Bankier (Strongman Apollo) used Irslinger in the Music Halls, although in March he lost a couple to the Jap Yamato with both shoulder and back injuries. He was gaining work and experience.

Irslinger’s big break was at the end of May 1908 when he beat an American Sam Anderson in the middleweight final at Henglers Circus. Typical of Wrestling and the creative William Bankier, if you open a tournament to anyone in the world, then in his mind, the winner is a world champion.

And of course this is great for business, indeed it’s all part of wrestling. Strange times with wrestling on mats and links with the music halls.

It was a very careful bout with not much happening at one point Bankier debated declaring the winner the first man to execute a throw. After the warning both men got stuck in.

At two hours and nine minutes Anderson was injured and gave up, with Irslinger the winner.He won £100 but there was no mention of a belt. And yet within the week a photo goes in the papers with the magnificent Irslinger with belt.

The next six months or more Henry had a busy time doing music hall work. The best draw was repeat Grudge Matches with Gotz, both men claiming to be World Champions; Henry at Middleweight and Gotz at Lightweight.

As far as advertising went they had wrestled 30 minutes at the Alhambra without a fall. Verdicts were shared as they took this round the country. It was pure theatre really. They even turned to boxing.

The 1909 Alhambra came and Lonsdale belts were up for grabs. Irslinger beat Young Whistler Jack Carroll. the nephew of last years winner, Joe. Irslinger made the semi finals again against Bob Berry but was disqualified for using the double Nelson.

In November 1909 the big bout of the year was Henry v Buttam Singh. It went four hours with no score but Henry had to retire injured. This match was in The Theatre Royal at York.

Earlier in 1909 Henry Irslinger had visited America and had a small taste of combat over there. This was to be significant as he went back at the very end of 1912 with the intention of staying and Naturalizing. In 1913 on his application of Intent he stated the January 1909 date as his arrival. I am unsure if he thought this would make the process faster.

Nothing sensational in 1909 but he made the papers. Middleweight Champion, but of where?

The years leading up to going to America at the end of 1912 saw music hall work but wrestling had badly dropped off. It was admitted in one paper that a November 1912 match at “ The Ring” Blackfriars with John Lemm (both Alhambra and Hengler winners) was to try and revive the game. I think we know that it went into a famine.
A stone lighter Irslinger went down 2-0.

Irslinger had even come north to wrestle some of the Wigan Wrestlers in the Football Grounds. Some of these guys had tired of the Promoters making most of the money.

Henry departed from Southampton on the SS St Louis 20th November 1912 for New York.

Arriving in USA the story varied but one angle was that Irslinger was English Champion and that he had been born in London to Austrian parents. Not true of course. Even his death certificate stated that he was born London but not his USA documents that stated Vienna. Was Henry trying to avoid a Germanic background?

But that Champion persona and Belt was what was needed to get the top matches for top money.

This was wrestling. The Lonsdale belt was really pushed but it did not help Henry in his match with George Bothner. He was well beaten.

The following month though Irslinger and the 47 year old Bothner met again in a match of no score going more than 3 hours. Was this the best idea for entertainment?

For more than 10 years big matches were with Ted Thye and Clarence Ecklund and other top men. Irslinger was right up there wrestling the best.

Over the years I found documents for Irslinger putting him in Montana in 1913, Atlantic City, New Jersey 1917, where his application for citizenship was backed by George Bothner, He finally gained Citizenship and Naturalization on 23rd February 1923 in New York.

Europe seemed well and truly behind him and he was now American. But in 1928 something tempted him to try and introduce the sport to Perth in Australia.

Australia’s cities already had wrestling, but Perth was almost another world in Australia and a younger city.

In August 1928 Irslinger negotiated with Cliff Derby and C J King to stage matches as The Arena Wrestling and Boxing Corporation.

In September Sam Burmister was brought over from Brisbane to start his storyline with Irslinger. Strongman Burmister portrayed a tough and brutal character to be overcome by Irslingers skills. Burmister was to come to England in the late 1940’s for a tour and even got in there for a tough match with Bert Assirati.

By November Stadium Perth amalgamated with the Derby King combination and The Subiaco Oval became the main venue, taking over from the Theatre Royal.

Two seasons there with Friends Pergantes, Miller, Boganski, they did shows with Boxing on as well. The pinnacle was the introduction of a Masked Marvel, challenging from the ringside. Grudge matches with Strongman Sam Burmister and fantastic battles with Pergantes and Boganski with endless return challenges. The Marvel turned out to be Walter Miller.

Irslinger and friends went off to South Africa to do it all again and then on to England.

The problems in Perth that I see is that it was one showcase event with Boxing in support. There was no under card and no real grass roots wrestling to include other wrestlers. I may be wrong but it does not look like many wrestlers were involved. I am even thinking, maybe a dozen. I list Irslinger, Pergantes, Burmister,Boganski, Gardner, Meeske, Miller, Bucht, MxKenna, Saveliff, Alley. Out of that troupe, for eight months there was a creative storyline using many combinations.

The press viewed the time in Perth as a bit of a flop as things tailed off in the second season. In South Africa there was criticism of rough tactics and this also had to be toned down eventually in England.

His time in England has been covered by many pieces of information and his partnership with Athol Oakeley.

It was the earlier years that needed to be told.

But whatever has been said, it was a mighty contribution from a man who understood the combination of showmanship with top wrestling.

Henry Herman Irslinger died 1st October 1955 at Krugersdorp, Transvaal of Stomach Cancer with secondary deposits in the Liver. He was buried on the 4th October at West Park Cemetery, Johannesburg.

Research dedicated to Jackie Swart Granddaughter of Henry Irslinger and her mother and aunts, Joy and Mitzi, who are Irslingers daughters.

Jackie Swart is also the daughter of fabulous drop kick expert Wrestler Jerry de Jager who married Irslinger’s daughter Joy.